We understand beer as an expression of the gastronomy and culture of a country.
The BBF is a craft beer culture project and is intrinsically linked to gastronomic culture. That is why, year after year, the Festival grows around the presence of craft beer in quality cuisine.
Imagine savouring a selection of craft beers, perfectly paired with local cheeses, traditional cured meats, and dishes from Catalan cuisine. Picture yourself watching a renowned chef prepare an exclusive dish paired with a Festival beer. These experiences not only tantalize your taste buds but also offer a deep dive into the brewing process and the rich secrets of local gastronomy.
The BBF 2024 is set to elevate the culinary scene with two new branches. These additions are designed to educate, entertain, and surprise both professionals and the general public, sparking a deeper interest in local gastronomy and showcasing the endless possibilities of pairing craft beer with high-quality cuisine.
The second edition of the Gastroshow, launched in 2023, aimed to enhance and unify the gastronomic offerings within the Barcelona Beer Festival (BBF). This year, eight culinary proposals from local restaurateurs were showcased, meticulously curated to pair perfectly with the festival’s beers. These initiatives highlight the character, creativity, and high-quality ingredients of the local restaurant scene, featuring delights such as Pota Blava chicken, local vermouth, mushrooms from Alta Ribagorça, and herd-raised lamb, among others
The second branch features Training and Showcooking: where the Festival invites top-tier chefs to provide training or showcase dishes where craft beer plays a starring role. This is where you can discover the best combinations of flavors and textures.
The training sessions were exclusive to industry professionals at InnBrew, The Brewer’s Convention, aiming to delve deeper into the world of craft beer and gastronomy. Two presentations were featured: “Beer, Oil, and Salt,” where we rediscovered the values of beer as a culinary ingredient with Marc Puig-Pey (Head of Kitchen at Fundació Alícia), and “Building a Gastronomic Proposal” with Jordi Vilà, Chef at Alkimia (3 Repsol Suns and 1 Michelin Star), and Albert Vilaplana, Head Brewer at Moritz.
In the Show Cooking space, where local products are always prioritized and chefs take great care in selecting high-quality, local ingredients, chef Jordi Esteve from the Michelin-starred Nectari Restaurant was invited. Esteve, renowned for infusing his signature cuisine with the enriching nuances of locally sourced raw materials, crafted a special dish to pair with the festival’s beer: L’Agosarada, endorsed by Samanta Villar. The dish, a Steak Tartare made with “vedella del Pirineu,” vegetables purchased from local producers, and seasonal sprouts, captivated the attendees.
On the other hand, Carlota Claver from La Gormanda, who aims to enhance traditional cuisine with modern healthy cooking techniques, presented a dish to pair with the festival’s classic beer, Hops & Hopes. Her dish, a mackerel (bluefish from Tarragona) prepared with sour beer, marinated in its own juices, sprouts, and celeriac cured with coarse salt, was a resounding success.
Additionally, a classic feature of the BBF could not be missed: chefs Edgar Rodríguez and Toni Romero. From Bart Gastroburger and Dejàvins, they delighted us with a series of dishes focused around Prat artichokes and seasonal products from Baix Llobregat, once again showcasing their mastery and commitment to local ingredients.
This year, the Barcelona Beer Festival (BBF24) introduced a delectable new feature: most of the scheduled activities were paired with some form of food tasting. Among the standout offerings, Xerigot, one of the only cheese aging spaces in Catalonia, presented a tasting of aged cheeses from Palau d’Anglesola, Pla d’Urgell (Lleida). Attendees were treated to delights such as raw goat’s milk blue cheese and KUADRAT, produced at the Tros in Sort cheese factory in Pallars.
Noumades wowed attendees with a pairing of IPAs with Catalan sausages and cheeses, including “llonganissa de Vic” and Garrotxa cheese. These combinations were highly appreciated by beer and gastronomy enthusiasts.
Due to the great success of previous editions, the Classic Pop-up featuring Delta oysters paired with an Oyster Stout became a permanent stand throughout the three days of the festival, reaffirming the proposal’s success.
In summary, the Barcelona Beer Festival is an unmissable event for lovers of quality beer and gastronomy. We’re already looking forward to the next edition, with high-quality, fun pairings that are sure to surprise you. Will you miss it?
